The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 1985
Filed:
May. 17, 1984
Mariano Delpercio, Port Clinton, OH (US);
Edward W Molloy, Port Clinton, OH (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A combined variable speed viscous coupling and bearing includes a rolling element bearing that supports a driven member for relative rotation on a powered member. A viscous grease interposed and sealed with respect to the rolling elements of the bearing acts as a variable speed drive, frictionally retarding the rolling of the rolling elements when the powered member turns below a certain critical speed, thus causing the driven member to turn with the powered member in a one-to-one relationship. Above the predetermined critical speed, the rolling elements roll sufficiently through the viscous material to allow the powered member to overrun the driven member. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is disclosed as a variable speed drive for the cooling fan of a vehicle alternator.